Brooklyn Kosher Restaurants Pressured to Drop Event With Lesbian Comedian

Two kosher restaurants pressured to drop event by lesbian comedian

A comedian has filed a formal complaint with the city’s Commission on Human Rights after rabbinical groups threatened to have two Brooklyn restaurants stripped of their official kosher statuses for agreeing to let her perform there because she’s a lesbian. Leah Forster had initially planned on hosting her show at Garden of Eat-In, a Midwood kosher restaurant. Owner Chaim Kirshner says he was pressured into canceling the event under threat of losing kosher certification — saying it would violate Torah law. When Forster switched the venue to Orchidea in Borough Park, the same thing happened.

NYC has yet another new high-end Japanese restaurant

Hiroki Odo, the former Kajitsu chef behind new all-day restaurant Hall, has opened a 14-seat kaiseki called Odo behind Hall in Flatiron. The restaurant will serve a nine-course dinner for $200, with seasonal Japanese dishes like fried taro with Pacific spiny lobster, mushrooms, and truffle yoshinoni. Seafood makes for five of the courses, which also includes a sushi course with six nigiri. For dessert, there’s yuzu jelly.

More openings, coming attractions, and closings

Cafe JQK Floral Tea opened at 330 East 11th St., between First and Second avenues, serving a variety of teas and coffee drinks. Short Stories, a bar serving a mix of American, Cuban and Mexican fare, will soon open at 355 Bowery. And also in East Village, the Mexican takeout spot Paquito’s is temporarily closed for renovations. According to its Instagram, the restaurant will reopen on December 28. A Vivi Bubble Tea location in Chinatown was shuttered by the DOH in mid-October and has not reopened. It was open for four years.

Long-running Italian restaurant will host a Frank Sinatra-themed dinner

Patsy’s in Midtown, which was known as one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite NYC restaurants during his lifetime, will pay homage to the iconic patron, celebrating what would have been the singer’s 103rd birthday on December 12. The event will feature a four-course meal of Sinatra’s favorite dishes as well as live entertainment and guest appearances.